U.N. to widen Libya peace talks by including rival parliament
Tue Dec 9, 2014 12:19am GMT
(Adds details on talks, quotes from U.N. special envoy)
By Ulf Laessing
TRIPOLI Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United Nations will widen a new round of talks
aimed at ending Libya's escalating political crisis by including a rival
assembly challenging the recognized government, its special envoy said on
Monday.
Libya has had two governments and parliaments competing for legitimacy since
a group called Libya Dawn seized Tripoli in August, installing its cabinet
and forcing the recognized Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni to the east.
World powers fear the conflict will lead to civil war as former rebel groups
that helped oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 now fight for power and a share of
the vast oil reserves.
The United Nations had launched a first round of talks in September bringing
together the elected House of Representatives and members from the city of
Misrata linked to Libya Dawn who had boycotted the assembly.
A second round of talks was meant to start on Tuesday after the first
produced no progress. U.N. Special Envoy Bernadino Leon said during a visit
to Tripoli that they would be postponed until the beginning of next week to
give more time to work out details.
Leon said the dialogue would include members of a rival assembly in Tripoli,
the General National Congress (GNC), the country's previous assembly
reinstated by the new rulers in the capital.
"So this dialogue should be based on respect. And we have agreed tonight
that this respect will mean that the representatives from this house will be
attending the dialogue considering themselves representatives of the GNC,"
Leon said after meeting GNC President Nouri Abu Sahmain.
"But they will accept that these talks will have different views," he said,
standing in a GNC building behind a banner saying "State of Libya.
Presidency of the General National Congress."
Leon might find it hard to sell the inclusion of the GNC to the House or
Representatives when he visits its members based in the remote eastern city
of Tobruk on Tuesday.
He dodged a question whether his plans means the U.N. drops its position
that the house is the sole legitimate assembly, a view shared so far also by
global powers.
He only said a recent Supreme Court ruling invalidating the House of
Representatives had changed the situation though some critics say the judges
were hardly free since they are based in Tripoli.
"We all agreed that the ruling of the court implied changes in the country,"
he said. "What is important is to have a dialogue where each one has its
view and they accept the views of the others," he said.
He said talks were focusing on forming eventually a national unity
government but reaching smaller steps such as local ceasefire were key to
start a broader dialogue. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Ralph
Boulton and Lisa Shumaker)